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The differences between school photographers and portrait photographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a school photographer and a portrait photographer. Additionally, a school photographer has an average salary of $98,357, which is higher than the $27,728 average annual salary of a portrait photographer.
The top three skills for a school photographer include customer service, kids and camera equipment. The most important skills for a portrait photographer are customer service, adobe photoshop, and kids.
| School Photographer | Portrait Photographer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,357 | $27,728 |
| Hourly rate | $47.29 | $13.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 25,482 | 1,707 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A school photographer is typically a freelancer who works from one institution to another. Their responsibilities typically revolve around organizing and facilitating photoshoots for yearbooks, school IDs, and other events. Moreover, a school photographer is also responsible for coordinating with school authorities to identify and meet their preferences when it comes to the setting and backgrounds, arranging sets, and managing schedules and budgets. A school photographer may also liaise with parents, students, and faculty members to provide them with copies of the photos.
Portrait photographers are skilled professionals who use high-end digital cameras to take portraiture photos for events such as weddings or high school graduations. These photographers usually work in studios to photograph group, individual, and family portraits while facilitating the selection of portraits by customers for purchase. They must demonstrate skills in using the latest Adobe Photoshop software to retouch any problems with the images while enhancing them. Portrait photographers must also maintain all photographic studio equipment and conduct self-train on advanced level photography styles and practices.
School photographers and portrait photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Photographer | Portrait Photographer | |
| Average salary | $98,357 | $27,728 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $561,000 | Between $17,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a school photographer and a portrait photographer in terms of educational background:
| School Photographer | Portrait Photographer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between school photographers' and portrait photographers' demographics:
| School Photographer | Portrait Photographer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |